Campbell gets nod as Scotland seek revenge
Ian Campbell has been selected by Scotland for the men's Home Nations shore angling championships in Ireland.
And the Tartan Team are determined to take the title from the hosts after being denied by fish countback 12 months ago.
Falkirk-based Campbell, retail manager of the Edinburgh Angling Centre, will cast a line in his second Home Nations having fished for his country for the first time in last year’s event on home soil at Riverside Drive in Dundee.
Also included for the trip to Coleraine is Stewart Falconer (Arbroath), a regular in the Edinburgh Winter and New Year Shore League matches organised by Campbell in and around the Capital, and he makes his debut.
David Neil and Brian Maxwell from Ayr and Bruce Maclean (Stranraer) complete the team for the trip to Northern Ireland.
Mike Horn, chairman of the Scottish Federation for Sea Anglers (SFSA), said this was a “hugely experienced” line-up who will do “fine” when they cast a line in the event.
The organisers, The Irish Federation of Sea Anglers, confirm that the matches are at Longfield Wall on the Foyle Estuary, on day one and three, and Benone Strand.
Common species at Longfield are flounder and eels and at Benone, flounder, turbot and bass.
The beaches and estuary can be fished with a variety of rigs depending on the target species and distance required. Plain leads can be used but anglers are advised that sea conditions are unpredictable.
When wind and tide combine, it can be hard fishing and heavy grip leads may be required so as not to impede fellow anglers.
Bait will be frozen black lugworm, frozen mackerel, frozen whole peeler crab for Longfield and sandeel for Benone.
The ladies and juniors will fish the same beaches and the women’s line-up includes Margo Robinson who makes her debut. The Dumbarton-based angler is no stranger to international fishing having appeared on several occasions for the international carp team, including casting a line in the world championships.
Also included are Brighton-based Joanne Barlow, Lesley Maby (Cumbria), Gill Coutts (Largs) and Buffy McAvoy, a long-time Edinburgh resident.
Kevin Lewis, their manager, said this year’s Scotland squad have enjoyed several training weekends alongside the Scotland Junior team. They have been a great benefit to both groups.
The ladies will practice on the Sunday before the official practice session on the Monday.
The junior squad includes Edinburgh schoolboy, Eryk Janik, and Nuno Santos, the team’s new team manager, is desperate for his squad to make a real impact.
Meanwhile, Falconer celebrated his international call-up by landing the longest fish, a 34cm flounder, in the latest SFSA Open at Riverside Drive in Dundee on Sunday.
Simon Hogan (Cumbria) with 15 fish and 395 points won Zone A with Stevie Burns (Prestonpans) second with 14 fish for 316 points.
Davy Cooper (Edinburgh) won Zone B with 17 fish for 378 points with James Duncan (Montrose) second with 15 fish for 290 points.
Flounders, eels and a few bass and whiting were caught but organiser, Chris Horn, said the venue did not fish anywhere near its potential with a smaller tide the likely reason.
The SFSA presented their league prizes after Sunday’s event on Tayside at the winner was Mike Kyle (Easthouses, Midlothian) with Mike Horn (Kirkcaldy) second and David Cooper (Edinburgh) third. Tronixpro were the sponsors.
Locally, Jimmy Green (Musselburgh) won round five in the Bass Rock Shore Angllng League’s summer series at Seacliffe Beach with a fish of 28cm. James Ogilvie and Dave Turnball (Haddington) were second equal with fish of 25cm with Max Garrett Jun from Dunbar third with a 23cm fish. The next round is on June 18 and the venue will be confirmed this weekend.
Elsewhere, The Erskine Open has been brought forward to Saturday, August 9 from its previous date in late September and bosses of the Clyde and Western Region have confirmed the date for their Open Shore Sweepstake. It is August 24 at Greenock Esplanade and registration will be from 8.30am to 10.30am with fishing from 11am to 16.00.
It is a pegged, catch, measure and release match and the limit is 18cm. SFSA rules apply and the match rules are three hooks maximum. Entry is £15 and juniors are free with a participating adult. Contact Billy Buckley on 07732 741285 for details and this is pre-booking only.
St Serfs hosted their first summer league match and it was fished in bright, fairly calm conditions over high water at Wormit Bay and some anglers were rewarded with some decent fish.
George Harris, the club’s secretary, won with 336 points and C Hay was second on 327 points. He had the longest fish at 36cm with M Abrahams third on 120 points. D Erskine was fourth with 41 points and I Crombie and F McFarlane were tied for fifth on 39 points.
Fly fishing now and Lake of Menteith report that evening fishing has been producing the best results, probably due to calmer conditions.
Millhall near Polmont confirm a drop in catch returns with almost no surface activity. Anglers are having to go deeper for success.
J Bown was top rod with eight fish. Buzzer patterns worked best and most other returns were in the three to five fish range.
Bowden Springs at Linlithgow say Brian Scott had 11, the biggest a 6lb brown, on dries, and John Kearney Sen had ten on the bung.
Recent reports from Glencorse include one from Wullie Munn who had 20 to the boat before his battery ran out and Mikey Fisher topped that with 21 to the net, dropped another six, on damsel and diawl bach on fast glass.
In East Lothian, Chris Kerr (Tranent) had 16 on FAB and buzzer at Newlands Tweedale.